There are 81 airfields authorized by the DGAC and 90.1% operate in Santa Cruz.

 Of the 81 private airstrips distributed in Beni, Tarija, Santa Cruz and one in Potosí. Most of them are located in the department of Santa Cruz. 

There are 81 private airfields in Bolivia that are authorized to operate and are registered with the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC). Of the total, 90.1% are operating in the department of Santa Cruz and most are used by agribusiness and cattle ranchers. There is almost no control on the runways and all of them have the minimum requirements to operate. 

EL DEBER had access to the airfield records at the DGAC. In addition, in the documentation are the steps that must be fulfilled to enable a runway.

If a company or an individual wants to enable a runway somewhere in the country must initiate a series of procedures before the DGAC. The first step is to obtain a certificate of registration and operation of a private airfield from the DGAC. In this document, the state aeronautical agency authorizes the runway according to a series of inspections. This certificate is valid for five years and there are 81 now in full force and effect.

Then, the DGAC issues an administrative resolution detailing the inspection of the airfield. This inspection verifies the perimeter fence of the runway, access to the airfield and its maintenance, the length of the runway, signaling, indicator devices, whether there is a fire truck and whether night operations can be carried out.

Few companies or individuals comply with these measures. One of them is the San Cristóbal mining company, which enabled the Toldos airfield in the municipality of Colcha K, in the department of Potosí.

"By the Directorate of the National Aeronautical Registry, proceed with the renewal of the certification, qualification and consequent registration of the private aerodrome named 'Toldos', located in the Colcha K Municipality, Nor Lipez Province, Department of Potosí, with the following geographical coordinates: Latitude 21°10'8.59", Longitude 67°10'48.14", in the name of Empresa Minera San Cristóbal S.A., for a period of five (5) years computable from the issuance of this Administrative Resolution", says part of the enabling resolution for the Toldos aerodrome.

Thus, there are several runway registrations. 81 are in force, of which 14 expire their certificates this year. The DGAC allows the renewal of operations for another five years.   

More airfields

Santa Cruz concentrates most of the airfields in Bolivia. Seventy-three of the 81 nationwide are located in various areas of the Santa Cruz department. Most of them were built by livestock and agro-industrial entrepreneurs.  

In Santa Cruz, it was known that an anti-drug operation was carried out in one airfield, called Mundaka, in 2019. However, the then director of the Special Force against Drug Trafficking (Felcn), Maximiliano Dávila, now detained in the San Pedro de La Paz prison, ordered the results of the operation to be annulled.

Now, the Mundaka airfield is called Aeroparque La Cruceña. This airstrip, according to the registration certificate 023 is owned by Iber León Gorena and María Jesús León de Mundaka. It was registered in the 2021 management, but in 2014 the change of name was requested.

According to the DGAC constant inspections are made to private airfields in the country; however, there are no reports of the results of the visits to the 81 runways and only in the resolutions it is established that the aeronautical state will be able to verify the airfields without the need of permits.

Senator Centa Rek, of the Creemos alliance, announced that she will initiate a request for a written report to the Ministers of Government, Eduardo Del Castillo; and of Public Works, Edgar Montaño, so that they explain the types of controls that are carried out in the airfields, the controls to the flights and if the work of the anti-drug Police exists in these 81 airstrips.

The Creemos legislators have sent letters making these facts known to international organizations such as the European Union (EU) in Bolivia, the mission of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the office of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), among others, because the fight against drug trafficking and drugs in Bolivia is not being carried out as it should and they are also responsible. They have to redirect their policies (of support) in the country, demand that there be certain controls", affirmed Senator Centa Rek.  

In the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), they join the control of the airfields and ask the DGAC to carry out periodic inspections to the runways. "Of course there must be control of flights from any airport or airfield in the country. Work must be done to avoid the use of airstrips for drug trafficking and other crimes," said Congresswoman Gloria Quispe.

The mining company Paititi also has an airfield in the municipality of San José de Chiquitos. Its registration is valid and expires in 2024. There are other agricultural companies that also have their own airstrips, most of which are in Chiqutania.